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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29999154">The Color of a SOUL</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kihte/pseuds/Kihte'>Kihte</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Undertale (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>And is present in all 4 of them, Character Growth, F/M, Frisk got 1 line in 4 chapters, Frisk kinda just doing their own thing, Frisk talks but like not much at all, Gen, I'll try my best, I'm Bad At Summaries, I'm Bad At Tagging, Idk what i'm doing, Less filler stuff and more action/drama, Might make transitions awkward though, Might take creative liberties with cannon Undertale plot/info, Multi, Not centered around Frisk, OC has character growth, OC has difficulty with emotions, OC has inner conflict, OC learning to listen to their SOUL, Other, Tbh lots to do with SOULS, Will try my best to keep it as cannon as possible though, and Cuteness, but not too much, but very slowly, friendship before romance, frisk uses they/them, hopefully lots of feels, i like angst, no beta we die like men, trying a new format</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 19:34:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,471</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29999154</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kihte/pseuds/Kihte</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Dahlia is an adult human trapped in the Underground. She has been living safely with Toriel in the ruins since she arrived, but the appearance of another fallen human will change all that. Follow Dahlia through the Underground as she looks for a way to finally return to the Surface and struggles to listen to what her SOUL is telling her.</p><p>Will she ever learn who she truly is or what she really wants? And will she find out just a bit too late?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alphys/Undyne (Undertale), Sans (Undertale)/Original Character(s), Sans (Undertale)/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Fallen Child</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So here I've been making one-shots and went through like... 3 whole story ideas. I found that I like writing this one the best. So here we go. As stated in tags, OCs SOUL color is still undecided. If you'd like to make a suggestion, let me know. If you want to wait a few chapters before giving your opinion, that's fine too- I wasn't planning on revealing her SOUL color until way later anyway. You got time.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>This was all too familiar to her, all too close to home. Memories came flashing back and she shook her head to rid her mind of them. She was not about to return to that place in her traitorous brain. She had just gotten used to living with Toriel and now that this… this child was here… well, a feeling settled uncomfortably in her gut.</p><p>“Dahlia,” Toriel’s sweet voice rang. The woman tore her gaze away from the sleeping child and saw the goat monster enter the room with a plate of what Dahlia assumed was butterscotch and cinnamon pie. “Is everything alright?” She asked quietly as to not wake their guest. Dahlia hummed, not giving a clear yes or no answer though Toriel knew something was on her mind.</p><p>“We need to talk,” Dahlia whispered back to her as she passed the monster on her way out of the room. In truth, Dahlia really didn’t want to talk about it. She knew how Toriel was and she knew that despite her kind demeanor, she was firm and resolute in her thoughts and ways. However, this situation needed to be talked about… it had been nearly two days since she had found this child in the ruins and brought her in. Both the women knew the child’s name to be Frisk and it didn’t take long for Toriel to heal them up. It also didn’t take long for the child to inquire about leaving the ruins and returning to the surface. Toriel quickly shot the idea down and that seemed to be the end of that conversation, but Dahlia knew better.</p><p>After Toriel had placed the pie on the nightstand, she quietly shut the door behind her with a click. Toriel placed a gentle paw on Dahlia’s shoulder to usher her into the living room, insisting they spoke there. Dahlia agreed and when Toriel sat at the dining room table, the woman leaned against the frame- arms crossed and not making eye contact.</p><p>“What are we going to do?” She asked the monster slowly, carefully.</p><p>“We keep them here,” Toriel replied as if it were the obvious answer. Dahlia saw that one coming from a mile away.</p><p>“You know that won't work,” Dahlia said in irritation. This was exactly the reason why she didn’t want to talk about it.</p><p>“Well, we have to try,” She could hear the desperation laced in her voice. She ached for Toriel- she really did- but Dahlia knew better than anyone what the child was going through. She was a fallen human too, after all.</p><p>“Toriel,” Dahlia scolded, now finally looking up at the monster. Toriel’s face was serious, firm… what a stubborn goat. “They are already asking about the surface. What do you propose we tell them?” Dahlia asked angrily.</p><p>“That there is no way to get back,” Stars, this woman was so damned hard-headed.</p><p>“So lie,” Dahlia bit back, “Do you think they’re just going to accept that? Don’t you think they’re going to ask questions? Do you think they’re just going to give up that easily?” The barrage of questions got louder and louder until Dahlia’s tone was bordering a yell.</p><p>“You did,” Those simple words seemed to wound Dahlia and she wished she could argue back, but she couldn’t. </p><p>“I’m… a coward,” Dahlia replied, looking away for a moment, the word hanging off her tongue nastily. She wasn’t going to let Toriel bully her in this though, so she straightened her posture and shook it off. “But this child, they’re not. I can tell and I know you can too.” Toriel seemed upset by this, but she remained quiet. “We can’t force them to stay.”</p><p>“But they’ll be safe here!” Toriel desperately shouted back.</p><p>“They’ll be trapped!” A silence hung in the room then and Dahlia sighed, regretting her choice of words.</p><p>“Do you… believe that?” Toriel finally asked, pain written clearly in her face. “Is that what you think? Living here with me…?” Dahlia closed her eyes and looked away. She wanted to end the conversation there- wanted to run back into her room for the night, maybe forever. Pinching the bridge of her nose, Dahlia approached the table and took a seat in the chair across from Toriel.</p><p>“This isn’t about me, Toriel.” Dahlia finally replied, knowing she just gave the monster an answer she didn’t want to say. “I know what you’re thinking. I know it’s dangerous out there, but we can’t keep them here.”</p><p>“They’ll die, Dahlia… Asgore-”</p><p>“I know...” She said, cutting Toriel off and trailing off herself. Another silence hung in the air. “That’s why we need to figure something out.”</p><p>“You’re okay with sending another child to their death?” Toriel asked gravely after a while, looking at the woman who had buried her face in her hands.</p><p>“Of course not…” She mumbled.</p><p>“Then what do you propose we do?” Dahlia was silent, a rampage of thoughts running through her head though none of them ended with answers.</p><p>“I don’t know.” Dahlia could hear Toriel sigh from across the table at her answer.</p><p>“We will speak of this tomorrow then,” Toriel said, standing up from her seat. “It’s getting late,” The heavy footfalls of the large monster thudded on the wooden floor as she passed the woman. They stopped for only a moment when Toriel spoke; “Goodnight, Dahlia.”</p><p>“Goodnight, Toriel,” And the footsteps continued before tapering off down the hall. Dahlia remained in the living room for a while afterward, her brain trying desperately to grasp onto a reasonable solution, but none came. Figuring she shouldn’t stay up all night worrying about it, Dahlia finally headed off to bed. However, she couldn’t sleep and she stared up at the dark ceiling thinking about the child… and herself.</p><p>Dahlia had been like Frisk- a poor, unsuspecting human that unluckily fell into the Underground. She didn’t know how a child had gotten to Mt. Ebott by themselves or why, but in Dahlia’s case, she was running- running away from her life, from her problems, like she always did. She figured this was her punishment for being a coward and she smiled bitterly at the thought.</p><p>When Dahlia fell, she was rescued by Toriel as well. She remembered that the meeting didn’t go over well at first, but could you blame a woman for being scared of a monster when she had never seen one before? Toriel forgave her quickly though and healed her up- nursed her back to health despite being a stranger. </p><p>Much like Frisk, Dahlia was quick to question Toriel about getting back to the Surface after she was healed; however, Dahlia was also quick to give up. Toriel explained to her that there was no way to leave the Underground, that leaving the ruins was unsafe because of the other monsters, and Asgore… of course Dahlia, being the coward she was, ended up staying with Toriel in the ruins.</p><p>Dahlia wasn’t sure how long it had been since she fell. Time passed… differently in the Underground- or maybe it was just because she had no sun or moon cycles to go off of. Whatever it was, she had given up trying to count the days. All Dahlia knew was that she had been there for a long time and despite this, she still knew very little. She had come to realize very soon that Toriel was not fond of talking in-depth about the rest of the Underground or the monsters that lived in it. She told her what she needed to know, but that was about it. Funnily enough, she also told her that there <i>was</i> actually a way to return to the Surface, but that was long after Dahlia had given up any hope of returning. The human could have laughed at that, almost. Sometimes though, she lied in bed and wondered what life would be like outside of the small ruins… back on the Surface. Did anyone miss her? Was anyone looking for her? This time, a bitter laugh did escape her- they had all probably given up by now and if they hadn’t… well, she wasn’t brave enough to try to get back anyway. Dahlia closed her eyes and willed herself to stop her thoughts. They didn’t, but she was at least safe from them once she finally drifted to sleep.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>A'ight, first chapter done c: I have 3 more going up immediately after so idk why I'm posting this :D</p><p>Please don't hesitate to leave a comment to let me know what you think. Questions, concerns, ideas, critiques- all fine.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Favor For a Friend</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As expected, Frisk asked about leaving the ruins the next day.</p><p>Toriel had been very clearly on edge the whole day expecting the topic to come up, but Frisk hadn’t mentioned it until later in the evening. The monster had brushed their curiosity away by changing the subject as best she could, but Frisk was determined and pushed the topic more. Now, Toriel was silent, still refusing to answer the child.</p><p>Dahlia sat at the dining table and pointed a gaze at Toriel as if saying; ‘go on, tell them'. Toriel was insistent on lying to the child, telling them that there was no possible way of leaving the Underground, but Dahlia refused to take part. If the monster wished to trap another human there with lies, then Dahlia would not help her.</p><p>“My child, there is no way to leave the Underground,” Toriel said sadly while Dahlia silently sighed and looked away. No doubt the child would take Toriel’s sadness for sympathy of the situation, but Dahlia knew her tone was that of guilt. “This is your home now. We will take good care of you.” Dahlia couldn’t listen anymore. She pushed herself up from the table, earning the gazes of both the monster and child.</p><p>“I’m going to wander the ruins,” She said, “Feel free to eat supper without me.” She felt sick. Toriel could never understand how Frisk or Dahlia felt. To be ripped from your home, your life, into a world you never asked to be in; to be forced to live in a place that was so small, where you had no other humans around- it was a pain that dug deep.</p><p>Dahlia loved Toriel and she loved the monsters that lived in the ruins, but nothing could replace the comfort of your own species. The monsters could learn and grow to know more about humans, but they would never truly understand, just like humans could never truly understand monsters.</p><p>Dahlia could just not comprehend how Toriel couldn’t see the problem with this. They would have no friends their age, no adventures, never get to explore the world; they would be misunderstood and feel alone and trapped; they would never find their soulmate, get married, or have children… Dahlia laughed. She had just told Toriel last night that it wasn’t about her, but maybe it was, just a little bit. She didn’t want Frisk to be stuck in the same situation as her, but at least Dahlia had grown up on the Surface- she couldn’t imagine what it would be like for Frisk.</p><p>No, she wasn’t going to let Toriel rope another human into staying here. Dahlia would figure out a way to let Frisk leave the ruins and stay safe, she had to.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>-----</p>
</div>Dahlia’s footsteps echoed in the corridor before coming to a stop. The door was foreboding- it stood tall in front of her, but she approached anyway. Her hand came up to brush the design on the door and she shivered at the coldness of it. The symbol was one Dahlia had seen before on Toriel’s clothes, but she had never questioned what it meant and genuinely never cared to. Her hand closed into a fist and gently, she knocked.<p>Dahlia didn’t come here often because it made Toriel uneasy- she supposed it was because she still had an inkling of worry that she would leave- but when Dahlia got the chance, she would sneak down. She came mostly when she was feeling lonely and craved interaction from someone other than those who lived in the ruins. Toriel had left her journal on the kitchen table one night after she thought Dahlia had gone to bed- the human couldn’t help herself and read only a few passages. This was how she found the door and him. Well, she didn’t know for sure if it was a him, but she had assumed it was from Toriel’s journal entries and his muffled voice. In truth, she didn’t know much about him at all; their conversations were never very long and they mostly just talked about their days. Still, she enjoyed his company.</p><p>She heard nothing for a few moments and worried that he wasn’t there- it was kind of a hit or miss whether she would catch him nearby or not. But a smile tugged at her lips when she heard a knock back and his muffled voice coming from the other side of the door.</p><p>“knock, knock” Of course he would start their conversation off with a joke. She couldn’t help but smile brightly as she leaned her cheek against the cold door.</p><p>“Who’s there?” She asked.</p><p>“woo,”</p><p>“Woo who?”</p><p>“wow, kid. didn’t know you got so excited to hear my jokes.” She didn’t know how her smile could have gotten any bigger, but it did.</p><p>“I always look forward to your jokes,” She replied, feeling a light thud come from his end. She assumed he must have leaned against the door.</p><p>“that the only reason why you keep coming back?” He teased.</p><p>“You know that’s not true,” She quipped back, her tone feigning hurt. “And here I thought we were friends.”</p><p>“friends don’t use each other just for prime entertainment.” She quickly banged on the door, hoping she startled him and laughed when he banged back. “hey, that’s not very nice, pal.”</p><p>“Sorry, guess my hand slipped.” She lied with a devious grin.</p><p>“i could leave ya hanging right now,” She had a feeling he was joking, but her heart still sank.</p><p>“No,” Her tone was quick and worried and she figured now would be a good a time as any to bring up what she actually came for. “I uhm, I actually came because I wanted to ask you something.”</p><p>“shoot,” He replied back.</p><p>“It’s ah… I need to ask you a favor.” He was quiet for a moment and she got worried. She knew he owed her nothing- as she said, they hardly actually knew each other- but he was her only hope. “Please,” She practically begged, desperation clear in her voice. She hoped he had picked up on it through the door.</p><p>“lay it on me,” He finally said after a pause. She let out the breath she was holding and leaned her back against the door and slid down.</p><p>“You see, there is a child here that wants to leave.” Dahlia had previously planned out what she was going to say and she purposefully left out the fact that this child was human. She did like this stranger, but she didn’t want to leave him a reason to deny her favor. A pang of guilt settled in her stomach at the thought of manipulating him, but it was the only way for this child to leave the ruins safely. There was no way to know if he would go back on his word when… if he found out, but… Dahlia trusted him. “They are stubborn and I know they won't rest until they have left the ruins. I need you to watch over them- protect them- please.”</p><p>The silence afterward was almost unbearable. She knew this was a lot to ask of him- to care for a child he didn’t know at the request of someone he didn’t even know the name of. She sighed and rested the back of her head against the door. She knew it would be a shot in the dark, but she had to try anyway. She would have to think of something else then.</p><p>“you got it, kid.” His words made her heart skip a beat.</p><p>“Really?” She asked without meaning to, turning on her knees and leaning into the door.</p><p>“yeah, i’ll watch over the kid for you.” Placing her forehead against the barrier, she sighed in relief.</p><p>“Thank you, my friend.” She whispered. Now, all she had to do was get Frisk through the door. Little did she know, her friend had already made the same promise to another.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Please don't hesitate to leave a comment to let me know what you think. Questions, concerns, ideas, critiques- all fine.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Leaving the Ruins</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The ruins were silent save for the croaking of the sleeping Froggits and lively crickets chirping.</p>
<p>Dahlia slowly opened her bedroom door, the slight creak making her wince. She paused for a moment, waiting- listening. The silence in the home remained and she carefully released the breath she was holding. She slunk through the hall as quietly as she could, being extra careful when she passed Toriel’s closed room, before stopping at Frisk’s door.</p>
<p>Slowly, carefully, she twisted the handle and opened it, trying her best to keep the old squeak of the hinges at bay. She debated on if she should attempt to close the door, but decided it would be wiser not to test the waters. Frisk had not heard her come in, so was still fast asleep in their bed. Dahlia approached and knelt down, gently brushing a hand over the child’s forehead.</p>
<p>“Frisk,” She whispered so quietly that she barely heard herself. “Frisk,” She repeated only a bit louder which finally woke the child. “Come with me, I’m going to show you the way out of the ruins.” Dahlia had learned early on that Frisk was an odd child- they didn’t speak much and sometimes not at all, their face was often unexpressive, and when asked about their gender, they simply shrugged their shoulders. This time was no different as Frisk just looked at her with a stoic expression.</p>
<p>“Toriel,” The child said simply, but Dahlia knew what they meant.</p>
<p>“She doesn’t know,” Dahlia assured, “She would never let you leave if she did.” The woman stood and gently removed the blankets over Frisk. “We don’t have much time, please hurry.” Frisk nodded in understanding and got out of the bed, an ever so light thump sounding on the wood floor. Dahlia grabbed Frisk’s hand and snuck out of the room, not bothering to close the squeaky door behind them.</p>
<p>Going down the stairs was nerve-wracking, but Dahlia was glad that Toriel’s room was further down the hall to hopefully dull the sounds of thumps and creaks. It was almost a relief when the duo made it down completely- just a bit further.</p>
<p>“Listen, I know that Toriel said there was no way back to the surface, but there is,” Dahlia told Frisk as they walked the long corridor. “I don’t know exactly how, but I do know there is a way. That is something you will have to figure out on your own, I’m sorry.” She wished she could have known more, told the child something more to help, but this was the best she could do. Frisk didn’t reply, but Dahlia wasn’t expecting them to. “But…” Dahlia let go of Frisk’s hand and knelt down to hold the child’s shoulders. “Toriel wasn’t lying about the dangers of the Underground. You need to be careful, Frisk.” The child understood and nodded, making Dahlia give them a gentle pat on the shoulder before holding their hand again and continuing onward.</p>
<p>Again, Dahlia conveniently left out the knowledge that her friend would be watching over them. She wanted Frisk to be careful and knowing someone would be watching out for them might make them over-confident. She wondered if that was the best decision. Though her conflict came to a skidding halt and her heart dropped when they approached the door.</p>
<p>“I had a feeling you would do this,” Toriel’s voice echoed in the underground room. Dahlia was frozen, her gaze pinned on the monster’s back as she stood in front of the exit. Toriel turned to face the two humans, her expression cold- colder than Dahlia had ever seen it. “To think that you would go behind my back to put this child in danger. To put their life at risk when I have tried so hard to protect them!” The knots in Dahlia’s stomach were unbearable as Toriel raised her voice. The monster’s tone was shaky and it was unclear if she was trying to hold back from screaming or crying. Dahlia raised a hand to reach out for her and took a step forward, trying to calm her down.</p>
<p>“Tori, please! You must understand that this is the right thing-!”</p>
<p>“To send another child off to their death? That is the right thing to do?” Dahlia flinched at the harsh interruption. Toriel’s expression now twisted to anger, but Dahlia stood her ground. </p>
<p>“To get a child back home.” She corrected, “That is the right thing to do.” </p>
<p>“They will die before they even get there.” The harshness of Toriel’s tone made it hard for Dahlia to continue arguing. An inkling of doubt flooded her mind and she looked at the worn stone below her.</p>
<p>“You don’t know that,” Her voice was low and quiet, unsure and worried.</p>
<p>“It always ends the same, Dahlia. I have seen it time and time again. They come, they leave, they die.” Dahlia unconsciously squeezed Frisk’s hand tighter. “I do not expect you to know the pain, nor the dangers that lurk in the Underground. But I will not allow you to put this child’s life in danger.” A crackling could be heard in the small room and Dahlia snapped her head up to Toriel. The room was now lit with a warm glow, shadows dancing along Toriel’s face from the fire now burning on her paw. “Go back upstairs or I will be forced to stop you.” Dahlia’s heart pounded in her chest and she felt like turning tail and running, but something inside was screaming at her to stay.</p>
<p>“You know I can’t do that…” Dahlia whispered just loud enough for the monster to hear.</p>
<p>“Then I have no choice,” Toriel replied, closing her eyes in regret for just a moment before taking a step forward. Before Toriel could get any closer, Frisk suddenly broke the grip Dahlia had on them. The woman shouted their name and reached out to grab them, but before she could get a hold of the child’s wrist, Frisk moved to stand firmly in front of Toriel.</p>
<p>“What are you doing child? Go back upstairs.” Toriel said firmly, but Frisk didn’t move. “You still wish to leave so badly?” She asked, a sad frown tugging at her expression. When Frisk gave no answer, Toriel gave a grunt of disappointment and averted her eyes. “You are just like the others.” She mumbled, looking up to the determined child once again. “Then there is only one solution to this.”</p>
<p>“Toriel, no,” Dahlia whispered, her eyes widening.</p>
<p>“Prove yourself. Prove you are able to survive.” Dahlia lurched forward to reach for Frisk, but a line of flames halted her advance as the child’s chest began glowing a brilliant red.</p>
<p>“Toriel, stop!” Dahlia screamed over the crackling inferno of the flames, though Toriel ignored her as she let loose a barrage at the child. Frisk stumbled back and forth to dodge the incoming attacks, some of the fireballs coming close enough to singe the ends of their hair as they whizzed past.</p>
<p>Dahlia paced around the area, desperately trying to find an opening between the flames to intervene. Through the raging fire, she could see Toriel shoot shot after shot at Frisk, the child trying their best to dodge every attack. When Dahlia couldn’t find a clear opening, she attempted to squeeze through one of the small gaps between the flames. An immediate pain seared through her body when her arm brushed one of the magic balls and she recoiled back. She saw Frisk just barely dodge another fireball that came entirely too close to their cheek for comfort.</p>
<p>“This is madness!” Dahlia cried loudly, clutching her singed arm.</p>
<p>“Do not come closer, Dahlia. If this child wishes to leave so badly, they must prove they are strong enough to survive in the Underground.” She knew there was no talking Toriel out of this, she was too far gone; nothing Dahlia said or did would stop this. All she could do was sit and watch.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Please don't hesitate to leave a comment to let me know what you think. Questions, concerns, ideas, critiques- all fine.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Goodbye, Toriel</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Kind of a longer one. I try to keep them around 2 pages in my Docs, but eh they might go a bit over or under.<br/>I also will try not to put too much game dialogue in this story, but sometimes I can't really help it.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Frisk kept up their pace, but not once had they attempted to approach Toriel.</p>
<p>“Attack or give up,” Toriel told the child, sending another volley of magic their way. Frisk simply avoided the projectiles and stood firmly in place when they were gone, the stray fireballs dissipating after they missed their target. “What are you doing?” Toriel asked, repeating her shower of attacks- the glowing red flames zigzagging across the room. Frisk did the same as before, dodging and then standing vigilantly, waiting for Toriel’s next move.</p>
<p>“Frisk…” Dahlia murmured when she realized what they were doing. Toriel hesitated for a moment, her eyes shining with remorse.</p>
<p>“What are you proving this way?” She asked, raising her arm and sending another stream of magic, though none of the flames came close to hitting Frisk. The child held their ground, their attention directly on Toriel, though they made no motion to move. “Fight me, or leave,” Toriel said, multiple flames blinking into existence and shooting off in random directions, though again, none coming close to Frisk.</p>
<p>Dahlia silently watched the interaction, the fear and worry in her chest gone and replaced instead with sadness. Toriel was purposefully missing- her resolve was wavering. When Frisk continued to stand still, Toriel went silent and didn’t move to attack again.</p>
<p>“I know you want to go home, but…” Dahlia could still hear Toriel’s heartbroken voice over the crackling of the flames in front of her. “But please, just go upstairs.” It was almost enough to break Dahlia’s heart to hear how desperate Toriel’s words were. “I promise, we will take good care of you. I know we don’t have much, but you can be happy here.” She was almost pleading, begging, but Frisk remained unmoving.</p>
<p>Toriel’s shoulders slumped slightly and the glow in Frisk’s chest faded. The heavy air of magic began to fade and the wall of fireballs began flickering.</p>
<p>“... Dahlia is right, isn’t she?” Toriel asked, a sad smile overtaking her face as the wall of fire finally dissipated. “You would feel trapped down here. It isn’t fair for me to make you stay.” Toriel sighed and looked away- at the singed walls and floor of the room and then to Dahlia who held her injured arm. A wave of regret washed over Toriel’s face who hung her head. “Pathetic, is it not? All of this, and I can not save even a single child.”</p>
<p>Dahlia slowly approached Frisk and placed a gentle hand on their head, kneeling to see if they were unharmed. Frisk nodded their head as if to say they were fine and Dahlia returned the gesture, standing to watch the monster toil with her inner demons. Dahlia wished she knew what to say, but no words came to mind and she wasn’t sure she had the courage to say anything if they did. Instead, she remained silent.</p>
<p>“If you truly wish to leave the ruins, I will not stop you. But please, don’t come back.” The monster approached Frisk then and knelt down as well. “I hope you understand.” She said softly before embracing the child in a hug. “Goodbye, my child,” Toriel said sadly before brushing past Frisk. The room was eerily silent when Toriel left and Dahlia simply stared down the hall. She snapped out of her trance when she felt Frisk tugging at the hem of her shirt and pointing to her singed arm.</p>
<p>“I’ll be fine,” Dahlia assured, kneeling at the child’s level once again. “You should probably go, I’m sorry this is how we say goodbye.” Frisk wrapped their small arms around Dahlia’s middle as if in a thank you and Dahlia returned a one-armed embrace. “Please, Frisk, be careful.” She mumbled into the child’s hair before letting go. Frisk gave Dahlia a firm nod before approaching the door and pushing the mighty structure open with as much force as they could.</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>-----</p>
</div>Dahlia walked up the stairs slowly. She did not want to face Toriel. Though she knew she would have to eventually.<p>She heard the fireplace crackling in the living room and hesitantly followed the sound. Toriel was sitting in her large chair, glasses over her eyes and reading a book. Dahlia stopped in the entryway and Toriel did not look up when she spoke.</p>
<p>“You are still here?” The coldness in the monster’s voice made Dahlia tense and want to run and hide in the ruins, but she tried her best to shake it off.</p>
<p>“I wasn’t planning on leaving,” Dahlia replied quietly, looking at the floor.</p>
<p>“Why not?” Toriel responded back, “You feel trapped here as well, don’t you?” It wasn’t as much of a question as she had phrased. Dahlia all but outright told her that she wasn’t happy in the ruins, so she couldn’t lie and tell her otherwise.</p>
<p>“That doesn’t mean I was planning on leaving.” Toriel sighed and closed her book, mumbling something under her breath as she did so. The monster set her book and glasses on the armrest of the chair before standing to approach the kitchen table.</p>
<p>“Here, you are hurt,” Toriel said, beckoning Dahlia over to a seat as she pulled a chair over. Dahlia obeyed and sat down next to Toriel, the monster immediately placing her large paws over the burn.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, Toriel,” Dahlia apologized quietly, the warm glow from the monster’s paws slowly mending the seared flesh.</p>
<p>“Do not be,” Toriel replied, “You were right, I could not keep them here. They would have tried to leave every chance they got, determined as they are. It is better this way.” Though even after those words, Dahlia knew Toriel was still mad at her. If not for the human leaving, then by going behind her back.</p>
<p>Dahlia had half a mind to tell Toriel about her mysterious friend that promised to look after Frisk to make her feel a bit better, but she didn’t really want to admit she had been going to the door behind her back as well. Unfortunately, Dahlia’s silence was easy for Toriel to read.</p>
<p>“You have something on your mind,” The monster stated rather than asked, her gaze fixed on the wound she was healing.</p>
<p>“Just worried about Frisk,” A lie.</p>
<p>“Don’t be, your friend will take care of them.” Dahlia jerked to look at Toriel who was still gazing at her work. The woman opened her mouth to ask how she knew, but Toriel scoffed. “I’m old, not stupid, child.” Toriel said, the burn now completely healed and the glow on Toriel’s paws fading. “Did you think I didn’t notice you read my journal? That I don’t notice you sneak down there when you think I’m not looking?”</p>
<p>Toriel stood and returned to her plush chair, setting her glasses back onto her face. Dahlia refused to look at her and remained silent, ashamed and embarrassed. </p>
<p>“I figured you must have had a plan to keep Frisk safe, otherwise you wouldn’t have helped them leave.” How long had Toriel known? The guilt settled in Dahlia’s stomach- Toriel had lost another child and knew that Dahlia was also sneaking around behind her back. It was a wonder that the woman had still been treating Dahlia so kindly.</p>
<p>“If you knew, why are you still so kind to me?” Dahlia’s voice was quiet and Toriel scoffed.</p>
<p>“Do you take me for some sort of heartless monster?” Toriel asked almost bitterly, but her tone was still soft. “Do not get me wrong, I am upset, but… I understand.” The monster slid the book onto her lap but didn’t open it. “You humans… are proud creatures. Determination runs strong in you. I… can not fault you for wanting to help Frisk or for wanting to return home.”</p>
<p>“Silly goat,” Dahlia mumbled, “I’m not leaving.”</p>
<p>“But why?” Toriel pushed, “You are obviously unhappy here. You want more than what these small ruins can give you. Why not leave?” Dahlia didn’t understand why Toriel was pushing so hard. She had tried to keep Dahlia there since she had arrived, so what changed? “You were so quick to help Frisk in their venture, so why do you not do the same for yourself?”</p>
<p>“Because I’m scared, Toriel!” Dahlia shouted, slamming her hands on the table as she stood. “There are so many uncertainties past that door. I’m scared! I don’t understand why you are so adamant about this.”</p>
<p>“So you would rather sit and do nothing than try to be happy?” Toriel asked, making Dahlia clench her fists tightly. “How is that any better?” Dahlia didn’t know what to say because Toriel was right. Tears began to well up in Dahlia’s eyes, but she refused to cry, making her choke on a sob. She didn’t want to be like this, but she couldn’t help it. The fear was stronger than the will to try. It was irritating, frustrating, and she hated it.</p>
<p>Toriel saw the human’s inner conflict and stood from her chair once again.</p>
<p>“Dahlia,” Toriel said, placing her paws on the human’s shoulders, turning her to face her. “Truly, I do not wish to see you go. But more than that, I do not wish to see you unhappy.” Dahlia looked up to Toriel with bleary eyes, the tears still yet to fall, but already pooling. “This is why I am pushing you. You must understand that there will be things in life that are hard and frightening, but taking a chance- taking a risk- is better than sitting around waiting for nothing.” Dahlia’s shoulders slumped and she couldn’t hold the tears back anymore. The droplets that overfilled her eyes ran down her cheeks and Toriel gently held her in an embrace.</p>
<p>Dahlia clutched the back of Toriel’s dress and buried her face in the monster’s chest. She wasn’t sure of the last time Toriel hugged her- she was so warm and comforting. The simple gesture made more tears involuntarily fall, but Dahlia refused to sob.</p>
<p>“I just want what’s best for you,” Toriel mumbled into the human’s hair, gripping the woman ever so slightly tighter. After a moment, Toriel pulled away and gave Dahlia a sad, but encouraging smile. “I will not be mad if you decide to leave. But, I will ask the same of you as I did Frisk- please do not come back here.” It sounded as if Toriel had already resigned to Dahlia leaving. The monster patted the human’s head gently with a genuine smile. “Goodnight, Dahlia.” She said, leaving the living room. When Dahlia heard the click of Toriel’s door shut, she took in a deep, shaky breath.</p>
<p>“Goodbye, Toriel.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Please don't hesitate to leave a comment to let me know what you think. Questions, concerns, ideas, critiques- all fine.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Welcome to Snowdin</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>She wasn’t sure if she was imagining the pounding of her heart or if it was so loud it actually echoed in the small room. Dahlia stared up at the imposing door, her feet stuck in place and her fists clenched.</p><p>‘You can do this, you can do this.’ Dahlia repeated like a mantra in her head. ‘Everything will be alright, everything will…’ The chants didn’t help, and Dahlia felt a lump in her throat. ‘They’re going to kill me, I can’t do this.’ She told herself, turning on her feet to retreat back to her room.</p><p>‘Taking a risk- is better than waiting around for nothing.’ Toriel’s voice rang in her head making her stop in her tracks.</p><p>‘I do not wish to see you unhappy,’</p><p>‘There will be things in life that are hard and frightening,’</p><p>‘How is that any better?’</p><p>‘I just want what’s best for you,’ The constant voices rang loudly in her head and Dahlia clenched her eyes shut. How pathetic that she just sent a child off into the Underground and she didn’t have the gall to even do so herself. The child knew of the dangers and still, their determination was not swayed. Yet here was a grown woman wanting to go run and hide in her room like an infant.</p><p>‘Damn it, damn it, damn it,’ Dahlia repeated silently. Taking a deep breath, Dahlia spun on her heel to push against the door before she had a chance to back out again. What Dahlia saw on the other side was not something she was expecting- a long hallway, lined with torches. It seemed eerily quiet, despite the crackling from the fire. She took one step, hesitantly. Then another, and another, before the door behind her swung shut.</p><p>“What? No, no, no, no!” She panicked, scrambling to try and reopen the door. What if she changed her mind? She wasn’t sure yet! Her hands felt up the door, but there were no handles, no way to get it back open. ‘Oh God, oh God…’ She thought, turning to face the rest of the long hallway. She wasn’t sure how long she stood there, but her lone footstep echoed through the corridor when she finally decided to take a step forward.</p><p>She had no choice but to continue. At the end of the hall, a large archway stood before her. Cold air swept over Dahlia and she shivered. The room beyond the archway was dark- so dark. There were no torches and the light from the hallway peered only slightly through the pitch blackness. Dahlia couldn’t see anything beyond aside from a small beam of light that shone down from a crack in the ceiling.</p><p>Dahlia continued hesitantly, passing the small patch of grass illuminated by the sunlight above. The sound of moving rocks caused Dahlia to spin around quickly, though she saw nothing there.</p><p>“H-hello?” She asked, her voice bouncing off the walls of the dark room. No reply. Hearing the falling of rocks again, she bolted for the end of the room and pushed the doors to the exit open. Cold… so cold. That was the first thing Dahlia noticed when she ran through the door.</p><p>The ruins always were dimly lit and a harsh brightness in this new area made Dahlia shield her eyes. Blinking to try and get used to it, Dahlia’s gaze widened when she could clearly see again- the other side was covered in snow. How long had it been since Dahlia had seen snow- not since she had fallen into the Underground at <i>least</i>.</p><p>A step forward made a crunching sound in the snow and Dahlia took several more tentative steps after. Already, the outside of the ruins were so much bigger, so much more beautiful. The snow-covered pathway was lined with tall trees and looking up, Dahlia couldn’t even see the ceiling. The inkling of light that peered through the crumbling cave ceiling seemed to be reflected in the snow, making the area brighter than it should have been. The air was still a bit musky from being underground, but Dahlia inhaled deeply at the fresher atmosphere.</p><p>A slam brought her out of her awe and she turned to see that the door behind her had slammed shut as well. Was this Toriel’s doing? She knew the monster had wished to keep the ruins locked up tight and wanted no one to enter… or exit. Dahlia had learned as much from the Froggits who lived in the ruins. Now that the human thought about it, if Toriel wasn’t there when she tried to help Frisk out… would they even have been able to open the door? And thinking back to the long hallway and empty room outside of Toriel’s house, how did her mysterious friend-</p><p>“You look a bit <i>brrrr</i>-wildered.” A voice said behind her, making Dahlia jump and slam her back against the door. A monster stood before her with a smile on its face… or what looked like a smile- it was hard to tell with its beak. Dahlia barely even noticed it had made a joke and she stared mouth agape at the snowflake-looking monster.</p><p>“W-what?” She asked quietly, but the monster just smiled widely, showing off its sharp teeth.</p><p>“No need to be d-<i>ice</i>-traught. You look like you’re <i>shaking</i> in your boots!” Dahlia looked down at her worn, hiking shoes and gave an awkward and nervous laugh, but the monster seemed to be excited over it all the same. “If you like my puns, I’ve got plenty more <i>snowed</i> away!” This time, Dahlia actually did laugh and the monster nearly jumped for joy at her reaction.</p><p>“Those were pretty funny." Dahlia said, though her laugh was more from relief than anything else. "Sorry for being so jumpy, I’m just a bit nervous.” Dahlia explained, pushing herself off the door and rubbing her freezing arms.</p><p>“That’s alright! I’ve never seen you around here before- are you a tourist?” The monster asked, making Dahlia go silent and look around nervously. “We don’t get many visitors- you from the Hotlands?”</p><p>“Uh, yeah. I’m not used to the cold.” Dahlia lied, confusion settling in her mind. She had no idea what this monster was talking about… but she assumed the Hotlands were… hot.</p><p>“Oh! Well, there isn’t much to see over here! The ruins have been locked for ages.” The monster explained.</p><p>“Yeah, I uh, got lost. I don’t leave… the ‘Hotlands’ often.” She had no idea what she was saying, but whatever it was, the monster seemed to believe her. She wasn’t worried when the monster seemed nice enough, but by the way it- <i>he</i>- was talking… she wasn’t sure if he even knew she was human.</p><p>“Makes sense!” He declared. Did it? “Here, follow me, I can take you back to Snowdin!” Dahlia managed to stutter in agreement and the monster turned to lead the way through the cold snow. “My name is Snowdrake, by the way.”</p><p>“I’m uh…” Should she make up a name? Keep this facade? “Dahlia,” Her name slipped out before she could think of a different one.</p><p>“<i>Ice</i> to meet you,” Snowdrake punned, turning to grin at her. Dahlia released a poor excuse for a laugh, but the monster seemed to accept her reaction anyway. “Are you staying at The Snowed Inn?” He asked, making Dahlia’s mind try to rush for a believable answer. Snowedinn? Snowdin? Snowed in? What was this monster even saying- everything sounded the same!</p><p>“Oh, uh no,” She replied, her mind going into overdrive. “I’m just visiting, I probably won't be staying long.”</p><p>“That’s a shame,” Snowdrake replied sadly, “Snowdin is kind of dull sometimes. It’s nice to see a fresh face around here. Like I said, we don't get many visitors.” Dahlia didn’t know what to say to that so she hummed in response, trying to make it sound like she understood. Even before Snowdrake came to a stop, Dahlia gawked at the small town that came into view after their walking. “Welcome <i>back</i> to Snowdin!” The monster said with a small cackle and a flourish of his wing.</p><p>Dahlia was enamored with the small town; cozy-looking buildings lined the snowy street and were strung up with Christmas lights, monsters walked casually along the way and played in the snow, and a large Christmas tree sat beautifully in the center of town. She hadn’t realized that Snowdrake was looking at her in confusion until he called her name.</p><p>“You act like you’ve never seen Snowdin before,” The monster said with a laugh. Was she supposed to have seen it? Oh God, play it off, play it off.</p><p>“It’s just so nice I can’t help but stare,” Dahlia replied sheepishly, her palms beginning to sweat with nervousness.</p><p>“That’s a first!” Snowdrake said, “If you like it so much, you should really think about staying a while! I’m sure Grillby would really appreciate the tourist money.” Dahlia faked a laugh when Snowdrake cackled at his statement, feeling like she was supposed to find what he said funny. But in her mind, she was just freaking out. How much longer could she keep up this facade? “Well, it was <i>ice</i> meeting you! Enjoy your stay in Snowdin!” Snowdrake said kindly.</p><p>“Wha- wai-!” But he had ran off before she could even finish. She really didn’t want to be left alone. That monster didn’t seem to know who she was, but would others notice? That monster was her ticket to subtlety! Now that she was alone, the beautiful town seemed daunting. She was like a rabbit about to walk through a wolf's den. With a shaky breath, Dahlia continued forth- her crunchy footsteps seeming ever so loud in her ears. She just had to get through the town without attracting any attention.</p><p>‘Just don’t make eye contact and keep walking,’ She told herself silently, her body now shaking from more than just the cold.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Not sure how I'm feeling about Dahlia being scared/clueless about the Underground. Seems like I'm not playing it off well. BUT it's too late now! Gotta roll with it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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